Architect Clare Cousins founded her eponymous practice in 2005 and has since amassed a suite of varied projects, with a strong focus on context, materiality, sustainability, affordability, and a collaborative client-architect relationship.
Her holistic approach to design blurs the boundaries between architecture and interiors, creating poetic yet pragmatic strategies for projects which seek to celebrate the experience of space and life within it. Maintaining a balanced professional profile, Clare is actively involved in the broader design community as a mentor, educator, public speaker, committee member, and industry representative.
The brief was to provide additional accommodation to an existing 1970’s Merchant Builder’s home in Mornington, Victoria. Located on a sloping block, the existing single storey house is sited well back on the block with limited access to ocean views. Rather than demolish or renovate the existing building our approach was to keep the building in tact and design a new pavilion to sit adjacent to the original at the front of the site. The new pavillion includes a new master bedroom wing with living room and deck for outdoor dining that captures broad views of Port Philip Bay. Planning regulations permit only first floor structures that are located over car parking or storage areas which informed the elevated ‘stilt’ design. Timber construction is used holistically both internally and externally while an enclosed circulation stair clad in translucent polycarbonate connects the original to the new structure.